Daihatsu Terios

OPPORTUNITY KNOCKS
Andy Enright wonders whether the time has finally come for Daihatsu’s Terios

Toyota’s RAV4 may not seem like the optimum place to start a Daihatsu Terios review but the two cars have become inextricably linked. In 1999, Daihatsu became a subsidiary of Toyota and have benefited from all sorts of technological spin offs. Some might say cast offs but the latest Daihatsu Terios is none the worse for that.

Underneath the handsome panelwork sits much of the previous generation Toyota RAV4.

When it was first launched, the Terios was a slightly crude and simple thing, not too far removed from something like a Suzuki Jimny. The fitment of the 1.3-litre all-alloy engine purloined from the Toyota Yaris range gave it a little more in the way of refinement, but the latest Terios is a huge step forward. How big? On the launch for the latest generation RAV4 – a vehicle that wears its £22,000 retail price a little self consciously it has to be said – we were given the opportunity to drive it back to back with the old model. Although the latest RAV4 is undoubtedly a very impressive undertaking, nobody who drove the old model had a bad word to say about it. As the latest RAV4 pushes ever further upmarket, it creates a gap beneath it that Daihatsu can exploit with their Terios. Nature abhors a vacuum and this car looks like it could do very well indeed.

It’s no longer the narrow, slightly odd-looking micro 4x4, instead looking like a proper grown up proposition. Walk round the car and there are no weird angles or clashing details. It’ll go head to head with Suzuki’s Grand Vitara, another model that has developed into a very respectable contender, but the Daihatsu has the advantage of extremely tight pricing to draw the crowds in. Although its performance may be a little strained, the 104bhp 1.5-litre four-cylinder engine that provides the motive force will still see a three figure top speed and an average mpg in the middle thirties. With prices starting from £12,995, this is an awful lot of car for your money.

"A pragmatic piece of product development has resulted, in the case of the Daihatsu Terios, in a very attractive budget 4x4"

To extract the maximum performance figures for the 0-60mph sprint and the 103mph top speed, gears need to be held longer as maximum power arrives at 6,000rpm. The engine’s high-revving characteristics mean you can drive in a sedate manner for improved fuel economy or press on a little harder when you feel like it. Fuel economy of 40.4mpg is possible on long motorway trips if you’re reasonably prudent with the right pedal in the manual model, while the automatic gearbox is slightly thirstier with a 39.8mpg extra urban average. This isn’t bad considering the hefty 4x4 transmission the Terios is lugging around and the less than ideal aerodynamics produced by the slab-fronted offroader shape. The engine is quite flexible for stop start urban motoring with a smooth power delivery and maximum torque of 140Nm at 4,400rpm.

Large 4x4s with real off road prowess tend to ride and corner like the QE2 on choppy seas but the bouncy suspension and high riding chassis enable them to cope with the big knocks that off road vehicles are required to take. The Terios is much smaller and nimbler on the road with ride and handling amongst the most car-like in the compact 4x4 sector. Body roll in the bends has been successfully curbed and on the flat, you shouldn’t be reaching for the travel sickness pills. It’s one of the few 4x4s that you’d take for a drive on tarmac just for the fun of it, making the Terios notably better than its Suzuki rival in this regard and leagues better than anything from Kia or Hyundai.

The penalty for all that nimble handling is off road ability that’s decidedly modest. With a mere 17cm of ground clearance, the Terios isn’t the ideal tool to take out into the wilds, but wheel articulation is surprisingly good and although the little Daihatsu will adopt some rather dramatic angles of lean through a gnarly off road test course, it’ll manage to keep its belly from scraping too badly. Compared to a big Volvo XC90, the Terios is a good deal more useful in the mud. If you can keep the Terios on smooth surfaces, it’ll do surprisingly well, although tyre choice is obviously very important, but without a dedicated low range or hill descent system, really hilly terrain is beyond its scope. Compared to Hyundai’s Santa Fe, the short front and rear overhangs allow a little more manoeuvrability although the exhaust system is rather vulnerable when the modest ground clearance is exhausted. The Terios feels a little more composed and the steering is a good deal quicker when you need to flick it from lock to lock in a bid to help front wheel grip.

Fully 142mm longer than the previous generation Terios and wider too, this model creates opportunities that Daihatsu were completely unable to pursue with the old car, offering space for young families and enough style to suit twenty and thirtysomethings looking for a leisure-oriented vehicle. The interior is clean and unfussy with materials quality that’s a long way removed from the old Terios and the cowled instrument panel is a very nice touch. If you’re familiar with the RAV4, you’ll have a sense of déjà vu in here.

Cynics may well snort that this is merely a case of Toyota recycling their old stock and it’s hard to deny that. The simple fact is the RAV4 still had plenty of life left and was selling extremely well starting at over £17,000. Knock a few thousand pounds off that price, style the vehicle as a Daihatsu and there’s no reason why sales should dry up. If you want to get a very good compact 4x4 at a keen price with the peace off mind of a new warranty and dealer support, look no further than the Terios. Derivative maybe but it’s instantly desirable.